Shipping address for Chiang Mai?

[a10110a]

Hello Thai Visa Forums,

I recently moved to Chiang Mai a couple of days ago and in love with this place and the people here.

However, I need to have my new debit card sent to me from the states and I’m getting a couple of mixed answers of my exact address that I hope you can help me understand. (I apologize if this is the dumbest question ever asked on this forum)

The address is bellow:

<removed> T.Sutep A.Muang, Chiang Mai Thailand 50200

What is considered the city and province? Also, I’m seeing an option for Siam(Thailand) or just Thailand?

Thank you and let me know if I can send you a case of Leo for your help!

[TheAppletons]

The city is Chiang Mai, the province is Chiang Mai.

Just Thailand.

Edit: Are you in an apartment/condo building? I'd put the name of the building and the apt/condo number prior to the street address.

Second edit: In my opinion, you'd be wise to edit your post to remove your street address. Not a good idea to post it publicly.

[onthedarkside]

<snip>

Second edit: In my opinion, you'd be wise to edit your post to remove your street address. Not a good idea to post it publicly.

Exactly, and I have removed those details.

[bangmai]

Put "Thailand" on the last line, otherwise it may wind up in central Iowa, if sent from the US.

[sfokevin]

I have no problem with getting mail from the U.S. using the following

First Last Name

House # Soi #

Suthep - Muang

Chiang Mai, Thailand 50200

Make sure you have the Tanon and Soi of that applies to your street address

Ex #3 SuanDok Soi 5

You can also go to google maps and find a business near you and look at their address

[NancyL]

Technically the city is Muang and the province is Chiang Mai. The capital city of every province has the same name as the province and is called Muang in Thailand.

[bangmai]

Except for Hua Hin.......and I think Mueang is a better spelling, but I've seen it spelled at least three ways in English. The "Moo" also seems to be an important element of the address, and that is where GoogleMaps can confuse things.

[NancyL]

Not everyone is herded up and living in a Moo, especially in the city center. Some of us are stacked up in condos which aren't in Moos.

[a10110a]

Hey, thank you all for posting and helping me out. I really appreciate it!

I'm currently filling out the USPS customs form and just wanted to make sure that for city I would write T.Sutep A.Muang?

Thank you.

[NancyL]

Yeah -- that would do for USPS purposes.

T. Sutep is the tambon which is a smaller administrative unit than a city. The city is Muang and it's divided into tambon. Sutep is one of them. I think it's tied to your postal code. I'm in Chang Puek and we have a different postal code.

[Sophon]

Except for Hua Hin.......and I think Mueang is a better spelling, but I've seen it spelled at least three ways in English. The "Moo" also seems to be an important element of the address, and that is where GoogleMaps can confuse things.

No exception, Hua Hin is not the capital city of Prachuap Kiri Khan. Agree with the spelling.

Sophon

[CMBob]

T. Sutep is the tambon which is a smaller administrative unit than a city. The city is Muang and it's divided into tambon. Sutep is one of them. I think it's tied to your postal code. I'm in Chang Puek and we have a different postal code.

Hmmm....think you've got that partially wrong. Each province is broken down into districts (amphurs) and each amphur is broken down further into subdistricts (tambon). The city is a different entity and, while the city limits of Chiang Mai may happen to contain entire subdistricts (such as Phra Singh, Hai Ya, Chang Moi, etc.), the city doesn't encompass all of certain subdistricts (e.g., Suthep or Chang Phuak).

The legal "sub-parts" of the city itself are called kwaeng (แขวง) which are the equivalent, English-wise, of wards. There are four of these wards in the city of Chiang Mai (I'll likely get the spelling wrong here but the wards are Mengrai, Nakon Ping, Kawila, and Siwichai).

In the US, one often finds a postal address showing a city even though the address is 5-20 miles outside the actual city limits. I'm not sure if that's done here (i.e., I'm not sure if somebody is to use "A. Muang" in a postal address here if the person's residence/business is technically not within the city limits of Chiang Mai).

[bangmai]

Not everyone is herded up and living in a Moo, especially in the city center. Some of us are stacked up in condos which aren't in Moos.

I'm in a condo; also in a Moo, and that's in the official address on the monthly maintenance bill.

[northernjohn]

the last time I had a debit card sent from Wells Fargo it took three months to get here. They had the same address as my Visa card from Royal Bank which has twice been here in three days.

Next time I need a card from Wells Fargo I am going to have them Fed X it to me.

[Chicog]

Q: Do they have Post Office boxes in Chiang Mai? If so, how much are they?

[bangmai]

MBE are at Festival, Promenada, and Maya (052-081-065). They have a Facespook Page.

[MrBrad]

To answer two questions which, funnily, are not the OP's questions:

1.) I live about 8 kilometers to the north, outside what might be considered city limits, and I am still in Ampur Chiang Mai.

2.) The cost for a standard sized Post Office box is 500 baht for one year. They are kind of hard to come by, so I've heard. Mine's at Talat Kam Tieng Post Office http://goo.gl/maps/thWEL; you might try there if it's not too inconvenient.

[naboo]

To answer two questions which, funnily, are not the OP's questions:

1.) I live about 8 kilometers to the north, outside what might be considered city limits, and I am still in Ampur Chiang Mai.

....

Although you didn't answer the OP's question, you may have confused the OP. There is no Amphur called Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is the Jangwat (Province) and you'd still be in Chiang Mai if you were 100km north of where you are.

You may still be in Amphur Muaeng, though you may be in Amphur Mae Rim or Amphur San Sai depending on which side of the river you're on. You're definitely in Jangwat Chiang Mai though.

Image from Wikipedia screenshot:

[NancyL]

As pointed out earlier, in the U.S. it's not unusual for some postal addresses to bare little resemblance to the actual geographic place name of the location. For example, we lived in a township that was 12 miles south of the city that the post office insisted we use as our mailing address because the township's little post office had been closed years before after a fire. We didn't vote in the elections of that city, the kids in our township didn't go to schools in that city, yet that was our mailing address. I wonder if the same is true here?

[hml367]

to the OP: While I don't particularly care for Wikipedia as an answer, this gives a pretty good description of addressing in my opinion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_addressing_system

I am pretty sure every address is on a road or street. Don't confuse "Moo" with "Moo baan"

[MrBrad]

Thanks, naboo; I misspoke. I'm in Ampur Meuang.

As for "every address is on a road or street," as expressed my hml67, I can add to that opinion also. The street that I'm on has

no name and no soi number. And amazingly so, the larger road that my street branches off of also has no name.

My address is ##/# Mu #, Bahn (name of bahn), Tambohn (name of tambohn), Ampur Meung, Chiang Mai.

Beats me how the mailman can find his way--to say nothing for any visitors or service people, but somehow, with enough references

to landmarks and buildings, the system works.

[hml367]

The "Mu #" is the "street or road" as in the definition below. The "Mu #" is not necessarily the name of the street a house number is on. I believe it is listed in the house registration book exactly how the physical address should be. Of course it is only in Thai script in the house registration (blue book).

หมู่ Moo [part of a street address in Thailand]; neighborhood; block

I think a mail delivery person would know each Moo (Mu) in a particular tambon as well as major roads or streets. They would need to know which moo to arrive at the house number in the address.

[bangmai]

If shipping from the US to Thailand, go to www.usps.com and you can fill in the customs form there, and it will be integrated into the mailing label. You will also get a 10% discount on postage. You can print the PDF and email it to the shipper. Open a free account with USPS online, and all this stuff will be saved for next time. You can also check "gift." Avoid leaving the contents blank.